Pictures

Summary

Wikipedia Source: F W Murnau Friedrich Wilhelm F. W. Murnau was one of the most influential German film directors of the silent era, and a prominent figure in the expressionist movement in German cinema during the 1920s. Murnau was greatly influenced by Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Shakespeare and Ibsen plays he had seen at the age of 12, and became a friend of director Max Reinhardt. During World War I he served as a company commander at the eastern front and was in the German air force, surviving several crashes without any severe injuries. Arguably Murnaus best known work is his 1922 film Nosferatu, an adaptation of Bram Stokers Dracula. Although not a commercial success due to copyright issues with Stokers novel, the film was considered a masterpiece of Expressionist artwork. He was also known for his work with the 1924 film The Last Laugh and his interpretation of Goethes Faust. He later immigrated to Hollywood in 1926, where he joined the Fox Studio and made three films, including Sunrise, 4 Devils and City Girl. In 1931 Murnau travelled to Bora Bora to make the film Tabu with documentary film pioneer Robert J.